Conveyor belt and module with skewed air-flow passages

Abstract

A conveyor belt and a belt module having airflow passages that direct air exiting the module in different directions to agitate conveyed products. The airflow passages of injection-molded belt modules are formed with no undercut regions to accommodate the clean parting of the mold halves.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A conveyor belt comprising:
 an upper conveying side and a lower side opposite the conveying side; 
 a plurality of tapered passages extending from openings at the conveying side to openings at the lower side, wherein each tapered passage has a centroidal axis; 
 wherein extensions of the centroidal axes of the tapered passages extend in a plurality of directions from the openings; 
 wherein the extensions of the centroidal axes of neighboring tapered passages extend in different directions. 
 
     
     
       2. A conveyor belt as in  claim 1  wherein the openings at the conveying side are smaller than the openings at the lower side. 
     
     
       3. A conveyor belt as in  claim 1  wherein each tapered passage is bounded by a wall defining a portion of an oblique pyramid or an oblique cone having a base and a height, wherein the height and the centroidal axis intersect the base at different points. 
     
     
       4. A conveyor belt as in  claim 3  wherein the height intersects the base at the perimeter of the base. 
     
     
       5. A conveyor belt as in  claim 3  wherein the wall defines a portion of an oblique pyramid having four sides. 
     
     
       6. A conveyor belt as in  claim 3  wherein the wall defines a portion of an oblique cone having a circular cross section. 
     
     
       7. A conveyor belt module comprising:
 a first end having first hinge elements defining a first hinge axis; 
 an opposite second end having second hinge elements defining a second hinge axis,
 wherein the first and second hinge axes lie in a common plane; 
 
 an upper side; 
 a lower side; 
 a plurality of passages extending from the upper side to the lower side, wherein each passage is bounded by a wall defining a portion of an oblique cone or pyramid having a base parallel to the common plane, a height perpendicular to the base, and an oblique centroidal axis, wherein the height and the oblique centroidal axis intersect the base at different points; 
 wherein extensions of the oblique centroidal axes extend from the passages in a plurality of directions; and 
 wherein the extensions of the oblique centroidal axes of neighboring passages extend in different directions. 
 
     
     
       8. A conveyor belt module as in  claim 7  wherein the height intersects the base at the perimeter of the base. 
     
     
       9. A conveyor belt module as in  claim 7  wherein the wall has four sides and defines a portion of an oblique pyramid. 
     
     
       10. A conveyor belt module as in  claim 7  wherein the wall is a closed curved wall defining an oblique cone. 
     
     
       11. A conveyor belt module as in  claim 10  wherein the cross section of the oblique cone in the passage is circular. 
     
     
       12. A conveyor belt module as in  claim 7  wherein the passages open onto the upper side at first openings and onto the lower side at second openings wherein the first openings are smaller than the second openings.